'The A Word' Season 2 trailer debut: Joe's delightful family continues to manage his autism diagnosis

Young Sheldon, The Good Doctor, and Atypical have all shed new light this year on TV families maneuvering the world of a child on the autism spectrum. But no series has covered the topic more gracefully, warmheartedly, or humorously than SundanceTV’s The A Word, which returns for its second season on Nov. 8.

As seen in the exclusive Season 2 trailer debut above, seven-year-old Joe Hughes (Max Vento) — he was five when we met him in Season 1 — is still keeping his family on their toes, whether it’s grandfather Maurice (Christopher Eccleston) trying to coax Joe down from the school roof he’s climbed on or well-intentioned, but stressed-out parents Paul (Lee Ingleby) and Alison (Morven Christie) trying to make sure Joe gets all the help he needs from a school that doesn’t quite know how to aid Joe while also serving the rest of his schoolmates.

Joe is the center of his parents’ universe, but the rest of the family has its issues, too. Joe’s older sister, Rebecca, has returned home from a trip with a new boyfriend in tow, and the noises coming from their shared bedroom (and a tattoo Paul spots on the boyfriend’s hip) are keeping Paul and Alison up at night.

The dysfunction, and the chuckles, continue with Alison’s brother, Eddie (Greg McHugh), who has to pretend he and ex-wife Nicola (Vinette Robinson) are still together when her parents pop in for a surprise visit. The biggest surprise, however: Nicola’s ‘rents have some relationship news of their own.

And then there’s Maurice, the buttinski paterfamilias whose friendship with town music teacher Louise (Pooky Quesnel) is forcing him to admit he might not know enough himself to be in the position of handing out unsolicited advice to his loved ones.

The endearing cast and their winning performances promise another lovely season with the Hughes/Scott family — and one of the most underrated dramas on cable TV.